


But I Can't Do It Alone

by LetheMedeaTranquility



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: (Not on nureyev), Cheating, Chicago AU, Current and Past Juno/Diamond, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Murder, Other, Prison, Theft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-08-10 21:32:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16462718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetheMedeaTranquility/pseuds/LetheMedeaTranquility
Summary: Detective Steel is helping the HCPD catch Rex Glass after the theft of multiple priceless and rare jewels and the murder of his partner in crime during what used to be a double act. Glass seems fine with keeping Hyperion entertained by himself.Everything would be business as usual, except our lady has history with this thief.Hoosegow is about to get two new inmates on Murderer's Row, slated for execution via Cecil Kanagawa.





	1. All That Jazz

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A_Small_Town_Girl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Small_Town_Girl/gifts), [Angel_of_Brahma](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_of_Brahma/gifts).



> This is gifted to Alex and Amy. 
> 
> Alex for being the best, best beta and putting up with my stupid comments (which are fantastic haha) on the google docs and Amy for being cool and reading over Alex's shoulder.

**Chapter 1 - All That Jazz**

 

The crowds, classily seated around little tables and tucked away in booths, clapped for the performer who put on a show. Juno was perched on a bar stool next to Diamond, just stopping their legs from touching, and checking his comms as Khan kept him updated. The performance was supposed to be a double act, and the venerated fellas in blue of the HCPD had just found the remains of the other half, throat slit in the en-suite of a hotel room that cost more than Juno’s office did in a Martian year. Currently they couldn’t find the knife, but they knew who the killer was. Juno was tasked with keeping him in the building. 

 

Diamond looked over Juno’s shoulder at the comms message and gave an encouraging thumbs up, the din of the music and Hyperion’s rich being far too loud to talk over. Diamond couldn’t help with this as Khan didn’t exactly know that Juno was here with him; Diamond taking the night off and not on the case of the string of thefts that Juno had been roped into.

 

Despite killing his partner in crime, Rex Glass seemed to be doing alright on his own; two muscular people currently boosting him up into various poses on the beat. Glass, somehow gracefully (could he move any other way), twisted into being held in dancers’ arms, music rising to a crescendo, then sliding down into the splits on a walkway into the dining area, wrists held above his head and behind, bowing his back. As the music stopped for a moment, Hyperion stayed silent, watching with bated breath as his head lolled to the side, looking right at Juno, a smirk tugging at his lips. Juno jerked and he dropping his comms. Glass laughed as the music came back with force and he was pulled up and backwards back into the dance; Hyperion cheered. Juno stooped to grab his comms, cursing himself. 

 

He stopped watching the stage, satisfied that Glass wouldn’t disappear during his performance, until the doors opened and a few officers entered the room. Diamond spun on his stool so his back faced them, winking at Juno as he did so.

Juno almost laughs as Glass looked straight at the officers, raised his eyebrows, and just continued. So nonchalant. Diamond gestured to Juno’s glass, the bartender refilled it and Juno necks it, whiskey burn almost distracting from the arch of Glass’ back in the final pose, arm flung up, hand curved into a finger gun shape. Hyperion clapped and cheered for a moment after, as the police climbed up on to the stage. Glass straightened up, grinned and held his arms behind him, wrists close together so they could easily cuff him. 

 

“Idiots.” murmured Juno, watching as the HCPD played the game by Glass’ rules. 

 

Diamond turned slightly to face Juno and watch from the corner of his eye.

 

“He’ll be gone as soon as they turn their backs.”

 

Juno couldn’t bare to look at him; Glass was captivating and captive and holding Hyperion’s keen attention. 

 

“Yeah.”

 

Juno’s glass was refilled. Glass, smug and almost proud, two officers flanking and towering over him despite those long, long legs. He took a second to admire them before shaking himself out of it. It wasn’t his fault, Glass was wearing a pretty little black number that left near to nothing to the imagination. He seemed comfortable in it, which surely a hard feat. . One of the HCPD jocks had stepped away and was calling Khan, clocking it a quick victory.

 

Juno sipped his drink as he watched the thief slip his handcuffs, holding his hands in place so the buffoons were not tipped off.

Juno gulped the last of his bottom shelf swill, stood, swung his coat over his shoulders and began to follow. Glass wasn’t just a thief; the dead crook left in his bathroom confirmed that. Juno figured they’d argued over something; money was a safe bet. He couldn’t let Glass get away this time, he’d proven himself to be dangerous and adept at the quick escape.

 

“Juno,” He froze; Diamond had slipped his mind. He turned, tucked his fists into his pockets and looked just lower than Diamond’s eyes, “Are you leaving already?” 

 

“Yeah, gotta make sure Glass doesn’t escape before the HCPD process him.” 

 

Diamond laughed and mocking said, “But honey, tonight it was just going to be the two of us.” 

 

“Yeah, sorry.” 

 

He wasn’t sorry. 

 

Captain Khan wanted Glass locked behind his bars for weeks, finally enlisting Juno behind the HCPD’s back to have someone competent take up the chase and get some evidence. Everyone knew the double act were the thieves terrorizing the upper echelons of Hyperion City, but Glass was very good at talking themselves out of trouble while wearing the stolen jewels and parading them around the HCPD. There was another reason Juno was keen to follow, but he was desperately trying to convince himself otherwise. 

 

“Well, come to my place later and we’ll have some fun once this is over,” Diamond’s place was their place. They lived together in a smart apartment just outside the nice part of Hyperion. People had standards, but they weren’t that high.

 

“Sure.” His voice was flat, but Diamond didn’t seem to notice, leaning in to kiss Juno’s cheek. 

 

“Great!” Diamond turned and he went back to chatting with the bartender.

 

A loud shout came from behind him.

 

The muscle that were flanking Glass were bellowing like brazen bulls, steaming. Glass was nowhere to be seen, a pair of handcuffs sat innocently on a nearby table. 

Juno spun again, scanning the crowd. Cursing his short stature, the P.I. climbed onto the nearest chair, looking over the heads of the crowd. Rich clothes and richer jewels are seen from every direction. The patrons crowded in between the tables, looking as befuddled of the cops. Juno’s eyes flicked to a hidden servers’ door just as it closed. 

 

Giving chase, Juno weaved through the 1% of Mars, outrages cries following him as he knocked against large, ridiculous outfits. 

 

He burst through the door into a small corridor. One way led to the kitchen, the other further into the back of the club and stopped in a closet filled with old buckets and mops. He could faintly hear heeled footsteps slow from that direction. Glass felt safe enough to walk. Back to the wall, Juno crept down the corridor to the cupboard. 

 

He could smell him, that cologne; spicy and sweet. Juno pushed their last meeting out of his mind before it crept up on him.

 

He tentatively pressed a palm against the back of the cupboard and it swung gently out into another corridor. Stepping through and shutting the fake back, he followed this corridor.

Dust had been disturbed and lingered in the air, Juno tried not to cough and covered his lower face with an arm. 

The corridor gave into a T, Juno crouched low and looked both sides; A few doors were closed down both straight corridors that ran perpendicular.It was obviously an unused area. Juno looked down for footprints in the dust, but he couldn’t make sense of which way they were going, running his fingers on the bumpy concrete. 

 

“Oh detective,” a familiar drawl in front of him, above him, and he didn’t have to look up as a pair of dark, impossibly high heels stepped in his eyesight with a pair of gentle clicks. He hadn’t even heard him approach or come out of hiding. Glass has always been good at sneaking up on Juno.

 

“Glass,” Hand going to his blaster, Juno looked up and what a mistake that was. His mouth went dry as his eyes trailed up  _ legs _ and then torso, then meeting Glass’ smirk. 

 

Glass stepped back, stooping to offer Juno a hand. 

 

“Please, I’ve said it before darling, call me Rex.”

 

“I’d prefer to call you by your real name.” Glass threw his head back and laughed, before twisting the fingers on the hand that was held out, almost insistently at Juno for him to take them. 

 

Juno ignored the offer, clutching onto the wall to stand up. 

 

They stood chest to chest, the crown of Juno’s head reaching the criminal’s collarbones. 

 

“Rex Glass, you’re under arrest,” Glass chuckled, running a hand through his hair which was slightly disrupted from the normal perfection, a few strands falling into his face, “Anything you say will be held against you.” Glass smirked cheekily like he had a brilliant idea, opening his mouth to speak. Juno frowned, knowing exactly where he was going and cut him off, “Don’t.” Glass pouted, saying,

 

“You aren’t an officer, detective.”

 

“The HCPD are combing this building for you.” 

 

“They don’t like you, why are you helping them?”

 

“Because you’re dangerous,”

 

“You didn’t say that last time,”

 

Juno raised his eyebrows skeptical. 

“I’m pretty sure I did.”

 

The last time they’d met, Glass pretended to be a detective solving his own botched theft. Cassie Kanagawa got locked up in Hoosegow for the murder of her father. Cecil’s bionic arm destroyed. 

Glass stole a kiss from Juno and then the ancient, priceless Martian jewels from Juno’s safe. And Juno hadn’t noticed. Hadn’t been smart enough, quick enough to realise that Glass was more trouble than just sneaking around Diamond’s back. Until he did.

Diamond had shown up to arrest Glass as Glass kissed Juno goodbye and left through the window.

 

Diamond had been taken off the case, and Khan had Juno put on it. 

 

“You said I looked like trouble, not dangerous.”

 

Glass still looked like trouble. The kind that Juno would prefer to be tangled up in, rather than the kind he usually was involved with. And he still smelled so good.

 

Was that cologne always so strong? 

 

Oh.

 

When had they gotten closer?

 

Without realising, Juno had rocked up on his tiptoes, Glass leaning down, one hand braced against the wall over Juno’s head. The other hand had come up to hover and almost the back of his fingers against Juno’s cheek. He tilted his head gently into it, the long fingers moving to twirl into his hair. Glass pressed his forearm against the wall, curling around him. The panic that that pose usually brought didn’t come. Confused, but trying not to show it, he bit his lip (was that sexy? Did it look sexy? Glass seemed into it, his eyes lighting up and that smirk pulling wider. Oh, there’s  _ teeth. Oh wow _ ) and slightly tilted his head back against the wall. Juno held onto the wrist of the hand in his hair. 

They stayed like that, breathing the same air. Juno could see the pulse fluttering in Glass’ throat.

Finally, heart pounding, he tugs Glass forward against him and down into a kiss. 

(Or maybe he pulls himself up?)

 

God, either way ended up with Glass’ tongue in his mouth, sharp teeth biting gently down and butterflies in his stomach and  _ that smell. A smell like another world. As intoxicating as alcohol.  _

 

He pulled back slightly, pressing their foreheads together. Glass breathed heavily, their chests heaving together. 

 

“Hey Glass,”

 

“Hmmm, yes darling?” Glass replies, leisurely and besotted, blinking his eyes slowly. Like they were  _ lovers  _ not on opposite sides of the law rutting together while the HCPD hunt Glass down. 

 

“Has anyone ever told you?” His other hand has been deep in his pockets during this, and now shot up, “That you’re under arrest?”

 

One handcuff clicked around the wrist Juno had been holding onto and the other cuff going around Juno’s arm.

 

Glass looked delighted. Juno frowned as Glass laughed, running his other hand through Juno’s hair to cup his face. It was a sweet gesture. A real contrast to Juno’s military issued handcuffs he’d borrowed off of Alessandra.

 

“Oh Juno, well this  _ is  _ the second date after all.”

 

“Glass, enough. Life cannot wait a night. You’re going into custody. Tonight not tomorrow, and you’re going to stay there. ” 

 

Glass chuckled, as Juno pushed himself off the wall and winced as his calves ache from tiptoeing. 

 

“It’s only eleven; an hour wouldn’t hurt anybody,” 

 

“Glass, no.” He let a breath out and sobered up from his flirting, changing tactics.

 

“You know I am a master at break ins and outs alike.” Juno opted to ignore him.

 

“Come on. Khan’ll want you in the cell before his wife gets mad that he’s been out half the night.” 

 

“And you want to get back to your Diamond.”

 

“It’s got nothing to do with him.”

The topic had turned sour. The awkward silence as they walked back near deafening. 

 

But still, Juno holds his hand as he drags the thief back the way they came. He tells himself it's because Glass is very adept at slipping the cuffs (he is) and not because Glass’ fingers twining with his own made the air in his lungs burn and his heart burst in a way it shouldn’t. Not with Diamond at home. Diamond who’s so kind and loving and loves him, bad days and good. He had never hurt Juno; if Juno was anyone else, he’d think Diamond would never hurt him. But Juno tries to be someone else when with him.

 

They get all the way to the back of the fake cupboard when Juno stops, Glass frowns at the change. 

 

“What’s wrong?” he sounds worried, before plastering flirtatious tone on to cover his concern “Are you having second thoughts of turning me in before a pleasurable night together? If you want to we can start n-”

 

“What’s your name?” 

 

He seems perplexed, then sad, then smug again. But it's fake.

“Why, my name is whatever I want it to be.”

 

“Glass.” He murmurs,

 

“It would take a very special lady for me to tell my name, I haven’t given it to anyone or heard it in twenty years.”

 

“I need to know.” He insists. He does. He doesn’t know why.

 

Glass leans against the wall, his voice a little sad and a little hopeful, 

“You don’t need to, love, you want to.”

 

“I need -”

 

“No.” Glass straightens up, pulls the back of the cupboard open and gives a parting shot before he steps through, 

 

“You just want it so much it feels like a need.”

 

Juno doesn’t reply, head hanging; ‘ _ so what if he does’. _

 

Khan was waiting outside, shouting at his officers and turning a just fetching shade mauve that Juno didn’t think was even humanly possible. 

 

Juno let go of Glass’ hand, gripped his arm and marched him forward.

“Captain!”

 

“Steel! I swear this better be good ne-” Khan turned as he shouted, trailing off as Glass waved cheerily with his cuffed arm, moving Juno’s with him, despite having an uncuffed hand. 

 

Juno watched as Glass was cuffed, twice he noted with detached amusement (like that would stop him), and manhandled by four cops into the back of a van. Juno unlocked the cuff around his arm and stood next to Khan, watching the van drive to the precinct. 

 

“That one’s getting a fast track to Hoosegow.”

 

“Keep an eye on him, he’s slippery.” 

 

As Juno walked away, he shoves his hands into his pockets and frowned when he brushed a piece of paper. He pulled it out, unfolds it and nearly stumbles as he reads it.

 

An invitation, repeated, to travel the stars.

 

It was signed:

‘ _ Your better half, _

_ Peter Nureyev xxx’ _

  
  


He figured he’d see Peter Nureyev again.

 

Juno saw him sooner than anyone could have thought.

 


	2. That Funny Honey

There were far too many stairs in this building. 

He and Diamond lived on the 23rd floor, a small apartment that Diamond’s wage could just about pay for if the agency work dried up and Juno had to choose between paying Rita and keeping the office over paying his half of the rent. Which, honestly, could tell you exactly what quality the building was in. The elevator had worked until the end of their first month and hadn’t been fixed since then. Anyone who lived in here was likely to find a body bleeding out in the stairwell, but was far too out of breath to even check if they were alive before stepping over them. 

Determination set in as he passed the sign of the 21st floor, the end was in sight, and he would be able to breathe again. 

 

Hand against the wall, the other against his ribs. Step, step, turn.

He was there.

Juno knocked against the door, too tired to even hunt for his keys. 

“You got him?” Was the first thing Diamond asks, opening the door and letting Juno in.

“Yeah, Khan’s got him for now.” Juno walks through the apartment to the kitchen. 

“Hopefully he can keep him.”

Juno let out a hoarse laugh, turning the tap on to fill a mug.   
“I wish him all the luck.” Juno took a drink, giving a ‘see? It’s water’ look at Diamond who was adamant about drinking water after a night out ‘He’ll need it.”

Diamond smiled, cupping Juno’s face in his hands, their foreheads almost touching. Juno was struck with how this seemed to mirror Nureyev. He tried to ignore the lack of fire that touch gave him in comparison. Damnit, this was a good thing. 

“Juno, I’m so proud of you!” 

His face twisted guiltily and he forced himself to look into Diamond’s eyes. A bright, sharp blue. Like the pictures of Earthen ice that his brother had brought home from school once. Diamond looked down at him, happiness slipping into something else that Juno couldn’t put his finger on. 

“Honey, you must be tired.”

“Yeah.”

“Lets go to bed.”   
Juno pulled back slightly,  
“It’s not that I don’t love you, I do,” That sounded convincing Steel. “’m just not in the mood.”   
“Sure.” 

And so life went on as normal for a few days. Juno went into the office, greeted by Khan’s money and Rita, who excitedly annoyed Juno for details of Glass. Mainly what he was wearing and about the performance. He couldn’t blame her. And, of course, he didn’t tell her anything more than half a sentence and a reminder that he’s a notorious criminal.   
Juno would come home, sit with Diamond on the sofa, looking over cold cases together, before Juno pulls Diamond into a rough kiss and into the bedroom. Trying to rekindle… anything. 

He keeps an eye on the news.  
It had been suspiciously quiet on the topic of Nureyev. Juno would have not believed he’d been arrested if he didn’t bring out that note and reread it whenever Diamond wasn’t in the room, he’d bring it up to his nose to try and smell the last of the cologne that lingers.

On the third day, Juno commed Khan only to find out that Nureyev had been ‘as good as gold’ and seemed to enjoy the holding cells. Apparently Khan wasn’t going to send Nureyev to Hoosegow until he really had to, aware that Nureyev would probably try to escape during the move. Juno was always pleasantly surprised when he was reminded that Khan was smart as well as kind. Of course, if he was any smarter, he wouldn’t be a cop, but you work with what you’ve got. He honestly respected him. 

Khan was a good man.

That night, Diamond takes him out to dinner. 

A posh little place that Juno looked instantly out of place in, the lines of his elegant dress not sitting right. The make-up covering his scars felt heavy. But Diamond thought it would help him fit in.

Diamond breezed through the doors and a waiter led them to a small little table, almost instantly, in the middle of the room. The room was more or less full; while certainly not Dimaggio levels of money - Julian would throw a fit if he was ever ushered through these doors, where the gold window frames were spray painted and not at least three inches thick - the Kanagawas would happily dine there. Well, Juno looked across the room at Cecil pouting into a tiramisu and Min scowling at him momentarily before plastering a smile on, not happily. 

Diamond pulls out Juno’s chair and Juno tries not to habitually snap at him. It’s a kind gesture, but his hackles raise all the same.

The waiter comes with the menus and Juno opens his. The price isn’t listed. Juno’s skin crawls and he pulls a face at that. When Diamond asks what’s wrong, he says he doesn’t know what to get. 

He ends up ordering the same as Diamond.

Diamond strikes up a small conversation. Not about work, thankfully, about some stream that had been on in his office. After pretending to not listen to Rita rant about it to him for the last week, Juno could somewhat keep up. The food arrives. He ducks his head down as Cecil storms out, camera crew following dutifully behind. 

A waiter take their plates and Diamond takes Juno’s hand, the ice of his eyes melted. Smiling sweetly  
“Honey,”   
“Yes?” Diamond brings a little box out of his pocket. Juno’s eyes narrow on it, ice flooding his veins.   
“I won’t get on my knees and embarrass you, but would you make me the happiest man alive and, well, would you marry me?”   
Juno stares at Diamond and then the ring in that little satin box and does not see them. And then he sees everything.  
People sat at nearby tables have turned to watch. Juno feels the galaxy cave in on him as a different waiter lurks nearby with a bottle of bubbly, ready to uncork it in celebration. And then the watchers begin to smirk to each other, amused by this turn of events as Diamond’s smile sours.

“I know it’s a bit of a shock,” He justifies, “But I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Would you let me?”

A pair of old ladies coo from a few tables over, before quietly reminiscing about their own proposal. Apparently, Lou fainted and Ameera burst into tears before Lou awoke and said yes. Juno didn’t feel like he was going to faint, he felt sick.

“Okay.”

He flinched as the bottle pops and clapping starts. Diamond looks so relieved and slides the dainty band onto Juno’s finger. He cynically wonders how long it will last before his breaks or loses it while forcing a smile. Diamond raises his hand to his lips, kissing the back of it as Juno closes his eyes, smile dropping off his face. A camera shutter goes off.

It must make a pretty picture, but Diamond’s manicured nails dig in and Juno traitorously imagines that it’s Nureyev across the table from him and unwittingly smiles properly at that thought instead. 

They get a free dessert.

The cake tastes like Martian sand in his mouth; gritty, dry and suffocating. He forces himself to swallow and tries to look happy. He’s never been good at happy. Sasha once joked it was how you could tell Juno and Benten apart. It wasn’t needed anymore, but Juno still would look at his resting frown in the mirror and think about how much more he had inherited from their dear mom than Ben ever did. 

Diamond pays. Juno doesn’t even try to half it or catch sight of the bill to sneak the creds over later. 

He’s numb before they walk to Diamond’s place, the sim wind bites but he doesn’t feel it. And he doesn’t seem to feel the climb, despite the ache in his legs and lungs. They travel in silence and Juno gets lost in the winding, bitter roads of his mind and the pitfalls of his mother’s voice. He ruins everything; always has, always will. 

Diamond rounds on him as the door shuts.

“Juno, do you not love me?” Juno hangs his coat up and refuses to look Diamond in the eyes, “Is that why you,” He gestures frustratedly with his hands, “did that?”  
“It was a shock. I didn’t expect, y’know, that.” Juno shrugs, and, trying to get out of the conversation, he makes his way into the bedroom. But, Diamond blocks the doorway with a hand.

“Don’t walk away from me, we’re having a conversation.”

“Are we?” Quips Juno, rolling his eyes and not realising that that action would annoy Diamond.

“Yes! And you didn’t answer me, Juno,” He mustn’t mean to be towering over Juno, “Do you love me?” Juno looks up and realises just how small he is, shoulders rising up to his ears. Diamond smacks the door frame, “It’s not a difficult question, Juno!” 

He feels like a rabbit caught in a headlight. 

Diamond is both tall and wide, muscular and in shape, the figure of a brawler, a boxer, an officer. He could probably sniff out lies. And Juno had ruined everything he’d ever had.

Might as well ruin this as well.

“I did,” he mumbles and ducks his head as Diamond’s eyebrows shoot up,

“What changed?” Juno looks off to the side and Diamond laughs. It’s bitter, like he can’t believe what he’s seeing or thinking.

“There’s someone else.” A declarative, not said accusingly, but as a fact. Juno chances a look and Diamond has leant against the door frame, looking at Juno. Acceptance and sadness in his eyes. Juno slips the ring off and Diamond takes it. “Do they, at least, make you happy. I just want you to be happy, Juno.” Diamond has always been far too good for Juno. 

“I don’t know.”

“What?” 

“I don’t know,” he repeats, “I couldn’t be with him anyway.”

“Why? Is he in a relationship as well?” Diamond asks, curious.  
“No.”

“Who is it?”

“I ca-”

“No wait,” Diamond laughs, letting Juno past into the bedroom, “Let me guess.” 

Juno begins to undress and wipe off the makeup. He and Diamond had been good friends before they got into a relationship. 

“Is it Khan?” Juno burst into laughter at that suggestion, rolling down his stockings. “Ooh! I know! Rita?”

“No, of course not.”

“Of course; she and Frannie are so cute together.” Juno hums in agreement, remembering the solid week he and Diamond trailed Frannie for to make sure she was good for Rita. He stands in front of the mirror, taking out his first set of earrings and watching Diamond in the reflection. His smile is pained, but he’s trying to cover it. 

“How about Glass?” Juno freezes in the act of taking out his second set of earrings, a more plain pair than the first, and Diamond does not miss that. The smile drops off his face and the room goes cold as their eyes meet.

“Really?” his voices takes on an incredulous tone, “Him?” he shrieks before slightly calming his voice, “Really Juno?” Juno winces slightly as Diamond still snaps at him. He throws his arms in the air, exasperated, 

“Y’know what? The sad thing is, it makes sense.” He begins to pace and Juno is starkly reminded of his mother pacing in the kitchen. And of the blaster in the set of draws a few feet away. “But, please, what happened that first night? When he was here. What happened? I want you to tell me because I’m imagining the very worse.”

“Diamond,” 

“Face me while you do.”

Juno turns around, hugging his torso gently.

“Diamond. I thought he was a Dark Matters Agent. I didn’t feel like anything was wrong until he panicked when your car showed up and he left. He fooled everyone.”

Diamond raises his eyebrows sardonically. 

“So he saw my car. How did he know it was mine?”

“I told him.” 

“And he left? But he left through the window just as I got through the door? And, while I was running up the stairs, you both had a few minutes.”

“I realised, I confronted him. I tried to stop him from leaving.”

“Really?” Eyes too wide, anger boils from its simmer, “Was the confrontation physical?” and the pot overflows, “Did the physical confrontation happen in our bed?” Juno swallows. 

“I - I’m,” But Diamond steamrolls over whatever Juno might’ve said.

“What about the other night? You two got close enough to handcuff yourselves to each other. Did you distract him physically?” Diamond throws the ring at the last word and Juno flinches sideways as it misses, cracking the mirror just next to him. Juno has tears in his eyes, and he presses the back of one hand to his mouth and sinks to the ground; reflexes making him a small target. A stray thought floats in the back of his mind, the ring isn’t as delicate as it looks.

“I wouldn’t mind if it was anyone else. You could leave me for my sister and it wouldn’t be as bad; but law abiding isn’t your type, is it?”

“Please stop shouting.”

“I’m not shouting!” He shouts, before pointing at Juno, curled near the dresser, head in his hands, accusingly, “You’re as bad as the rest of the force says you are! The absolute worse cop who would sacrifice a case for your own gain!”

A bang comes from the wall and they’ve pissed off next door again. A muffled voice can be heard; a shout of, “Shut up or else!” 

Diamond, predictably, doesn’t take it well. He was on a roll and doesn’t appreciate being interrupted. He’s storms to the wall, slams a fist against it and shrieks, “Or else?” They start arguing and Juno has never been more thankful in his life of the neighbours. He reminds himself to get them a bouquet, realises he probably won’t and decides that it was a nice thought as Diamond is threatened with the police.

“I am the police!” he fires back, laughing. 

And he has a right to really, Juno distantly muses on his trek to the dresser, the HCPD would crack open a cold one and watch Juno get beaten.

The dresser is right there, but it feels like he’s been crawling for decades once he’s clutching at the knobs to pull himself into a kneeling position. Panic clears his mind to nothing except the need to protect himself, but his hands are shaking as he pulls open the middle drawer. The soft satin and lace lingerie that Diamond would often insist he parade around their room in hides the cool metal like dreams that cloud the bitter truth. Or the few good moments and you convince yourself that they outway the bad. 

Juno knows how this will end; how this always ends. With a body on the floor. And after a lifetime of it not being Juno, of the body being Ben or Ma or Hijikata, he still isn’t ready. How pathetic is that? He’s lasted far more than allotted time on this dust ball, but he still isn’t ready. 

His fingers wrap around the worn grip.

His hands stop shaking.

“What are you doing Juno?” Diamond snarls and Juno startles, backs away from the draw and spins to face him, hands raised. The blasters extended, sights on Diamond. Diamond’s eyes are wide, not angry but scared. No, as Juno watches, Diamond gives a disbelieving laugh.  
“What are you doing Juno?” he repeats, smiling, “Really? What do you think you’ll gain from this? I know you couldn’t pull the trigger. You’re not going to shoot me,” he smirks and drawls his last word, “Darling.” 

And it is his last word. 

And Juno is still curled by the drawer after Diamond stops twitching, stops breathing, stops living. 

He is still curled there when the neighbour makes true on their promise and the HCPD burst through the front door. He’s sat on his legs, sprawled, and just stares when he sees officer McCrory. Who scoffs, laughs, drags him to his feet. He’s sending for back up and Lt Loo, who backed into a wall in horror, stares at him like they’ve never seen him before. McCrory snaps something at Loo and Loo crosses the room to Juno, staying far away from the body on the floor. They look in his eyes, grimace, and take the blaster from his hands before slipping around to handcuff him. The cuffs aren’t as tight as they could be and their fingers around his arm don’t dig in as much as they could. Loo was too kind to him, just like Khan.

Just like Diamond. 

Loo walks him out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this has been finished for about a month haha whoops


	3. Juno's Suite

Khan places the mug in front of him and sits on the other side of the interrogation table. 

It brings back memories; the last time he was on this side of the interrogation was when he was a teenager. 

He wasn’t cuffed to the table anymore, Khan having unlocked them after he’d covered the camera in the corner and put Lt Loo on the other side of the one way glass - to stop this becoming a circus act, apparently. Juno wasn’t entirely sure what a circus act entailed. Steam rises from the mug and Juno curls his hands around it, thankful for its warm. Khan’s coat covers his shoulders, but he’s still in his underwear and the ride was bitter, McCrory took delight in keeping his window open. Loo had shot him scowls from the backseat, where they perched next to Juno. 

“So, Steel, what happened?” Khan asks, folding his hands on the table.

“Is Glass still here?” Khan seems to age before his eyes and his sits back in his chair, rubbing his face. 

“Yes. Did you kill Inspector Diamond?” Juno looks down into his drink, dips a finger in it and watches the liquid swirl for a moment before answering. 

“Who else could it have been?” he looks up and quirks an eyebrow, “Of course it was me.”

“Could you tell me what happened?”

“I shot him.” he says like Khan’s an idiot. Khan isn’t, but it’s easier to pretend like he doesn’t know what Khan means. 

Khan leans forward, places his hands on the table near Juno’s hands like he wants to take them and give support but doesn’t take that last step. Gruffness radiates from him to try and cover his concern; obvious in the ‘v’ on his brow, the squint around his eyes and the settling of his mustache. 

“Why were you at his house? Did he… y’know?” He trails off, embarrassed and gesturing at Juno’s state of undress, and Juno wants to cry because Diamond would never, but he doesn’t know anymore. Juno had always been so stupid. He shakes his head,

“He asked me to marry him.” His bushy brows shot up, he glances at the one way mirror and asks,

“You were together?” Juno’s face twists into a picture of grief, sculpted by muses of pantheons past.

“And I’d been cheating on him.” Khan nods, quips,

“Well that explains the ring embedded in the mirror.” and doesn’t pry into Juno’s romantic failings, just moves on to the fight and the shooting. 

It takes a while, but Khan gets most of the picture of that night and before that. They’re both yawning and his drink has gone cold, when Khan asks the question he’d been dreading. 

“Who did you cheat on him with?”

“Is this necessary?”

“It’s just me who’ll know. Just if they come to the station,”

“Don’t worry that’s not a problem.” he chuckles dryly as Khan squints and he hurriedly changes the question, “You’ll have more of a problem of Rita showing up now she doesn’t have any work.”

Khan scratches at his beard and nods,

“I can’t deal with her getting interns to blow up the fusion heaters anymore, but everyone saw you come in and there will be a riot if I let you go.” 

“I don’t deserve being let go anyway, I’m a criminal, remember?”

“It’s a shame; you were a good detective.” He makes an sound low in his throat and adjusts his statement “Well, as good as private eyes can be.”

“So not very.” 

“Hmmm.” 

Khan adjusts his papers and checks his watch. He takes Juno’s mug and leaves the room. Loo slips in before the door closes. Behind them, Juno can see the precinct all trying to get a look into the room. He might’ve laughed when he could hear Khan shout at them and the clattering of chairs as the precinct tried to pretend that they weren’t trying to spy and get back to work. 

Loo gives a strained smile and Juno grimaces back, tapping his hands on the tabletop. Time passes slowly until Khan returns. He’s juggling three steaming mugs and has a bundle of cloth tucked under an arm. Juno doesn’t look past Khan. He doesn’t want to see his former friends laugh at his failings; he has a Sasha for that.

Khan passes a powder blue mug to Loo, who whispers a thanks and brings it up to their lips. He places a purple, chipped mug in front of Juno and the last mug, emblazoned with ‘Galaxy’s Best Dad’, in his place. He sits heavily on his side of the table, takes a flask from a pants pocket and tips amber liquid into his mug. He offers it to Loo (they decline), then to Juno. He stares at Khan, who rolls his eyes and tips the rest of the flask into Juno’s mug. Juno drains half the mug, feeling his body warm with the liquor. Khan waits for him to set his mug onto the table when he says,

“Kanagawa,” Juno begins to groan and Khan continues over him, “are sending someone over to collect Glass tomorr,” he cuts himself off as Loo coughs pointedly, “Today. Apparently murderers’ row is… Nice.”  
“On camera 24/7 and then slaughtered in Cecil’s sick streams? Sounds fun.”

Loo speaks up,

“Actually, Murderer’s Row isn’t streamed until Cecil’s show. And you can appeal for a trial.”

“With what money,” Juno scoffs, necks the last of his coffee and Khan says,

“It’s Hoosegow or the HCPD holding cells Steel.”

It’s not much of a choice really. He wouldn’t last a week in the holding cells. Once Khan went home it was over for him. Just as he deserved.

“And if you say HCPD, I’ll force you to Hoosegow, I am not scraping you off a cell floor,” He pushed the bundle of cloth over the table. Juno picked at it and it unfolded into clothes. 

“Are these… yours?” Juno asks, holding up a dark shirt. A skirt and a big jumper were still on the tabletop, worn wool socks laying over them like something dead. 

“Just put them on.” 

Juno had to press his lips together to stop himself from sobbing, looking up at Khan who was turning his chair around to face Loo. 

He leaves the shirt, but pulls the rest of the soft clothing on. He smelt of laundry detergent. It was a nice change. Everything’s too big. The jumper slips off one shoulder and the skirt is rolled over twice to stay up. The socks seem hand knitted and come up to his knees when tugged as high as they can go. He’s warm. He doesn’t deserve Khan’s kindness. He hugs himself when he sits back down. 

“Can I call Rita?” he asks, when Khan is facing him again. 

“I can take a message.”

“Just tell her what happened and tell her to sell the office.”

Khan nods and there is a knock on the door. 

It opens. 

There’s McCrory. He smirks,

“Come on Steel, we’ve decided where you’re spending the night.” Jeers and shouts can be heard from the precinct. 

Loo pushes off the wall, opening their mouth, looking affronted in Juno’s honor. Khan stops them from moving forwards and Juno refuses to be dragged out of his chair or the room. McCrory grabs his upper arm as Juno marches through the crowd. He narrowly avoids being tripped as he walks to the middle of the room, looking out in a sea of hostility. 

“How’s your wife, Katrine? Did you get my wedding present?” He snarks to an ex-partner of his. Katrine spits at him and he lets out a chuckle as McCrory yanks him about a bit. 

“We haven’t got any cells left for you, so you’ll have to double up Steel.” Juno looks to the left at a row of empty cells and he is somewhat smart for once in his life; he keeps his mouth shut. 

McCrory drags him to the right and Juno hears people place bets of how long he’ll last. Apparently this prisoner’s vicious. He can hear someone bemoaning that they were clawed by the prisoner and it was taking some time to heal and another telling them to suck it up, ‘at least they hadn’t been bitten’ by the prisoner. Resigned to his fate, Juno allowed McCrory to pull him in front of a metal door with a mailbox slit at eye height, both to look in and to slide in food if they were feeling charitable or wanting to frighten an intern. McCrory slams on the door twice and shouts,

“Shut up and get away from the door!” Before looking in the mailbox, then he unlocks the door and pushes Juno in. Juno closes his eyes and prepares for death as the door clanges behind him and the door locks. “Play nice you two.” says McCrory, before shutting the mailbox flap with a cackle.

He hears a gasp behind him and flinches.

“Oh darling,” a familiar voice simpers “What happened?” Gentle hands are turning up his face and he opens his eyes to look into the bright, beautiful amber eyes of Peter Nureyev. 

Juno stares at him and answers in an almost state of shock as he remembers what he has done.

“I killed Diamond.” he whispers and it’s sinking in. Nureyev pulls Juno against his chest and wraps his arms around him, kissing his forehead softly and Juno now begins to cry. 

Nureyev backs onto the metal slab that is there as a bed and tugs Juno onto his lap and holds him tight as he ugly sobs into Nureyev. Strong hands stroke his hair and just holds him. He doesn’t explain and isn’t asked too. Nureyev is so sure that it’s okay, that he’ll be okay, that they’ll both be alright.

“We’re going to get out.” Nureyev whispers into his skin as Juno slips into a thankfully dreamless sleep. “We’re going to get out together, Juno, darling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Khan so much lads

**Author's Note:**

> This is so self indulgent.
> 
> Also, the image of Nureyev in Velma Kelly's outfits is A+
> 
> Also, my tenses are all over the place whoops


End file.
